Weekly Health Tips

Probiotics & Constipation

Posted: 04.24.2015

Adding fiber to one's diet, drinking more water and exercising more may help relieve constipation. However, taking probiotics may also help. On average, probiotics helped improve gut transit time by 12.4 hours, increased the number of bowel movements by 1.3 per week and helped soften stools, according to a study that pooled data from 14 clinical trials. The probiotics that contained the strain Bifidobacterium lactis appeared to be the most effective. Other studies have also shown that probiotics may help relieve diarrhea caused by infection or antibiotics. For more information, consult your pharmacist.